The present invention relates to a device for a mobile field artillery piece which has a firearm supported on a lower carriage for achieving rapid and automatized transport of rounds of ammunition or parts thereof from a handling station located at a distance from the weapon to a receiving unit arranged on the weapon such as a loading pendulum, loading tray, etc. It primarily relates to artillery weapons having an upper carriage which is traversable on the lower carriage and in which the firearm is arranged so that it can be elevated.
When firing field artillery, there are often problems involved in carrying out rapid firing and maintaining the firing, because the feed of rounds of ammunition to the weapon constitutes heavy difficult work. In general, it is not very appropriate to provide the weapon with permanent devices for feeding rounds of ammunition, as this would have a detrimental influence on the mobility of the weapon, as in rough terrain.
The present invention is based upon the concept that it should be possible to attach a device for feeding rounds of ammunition to the weapon temporarily, and which can be removed when the gun is being moved, to allow transport of the weapon without its being impeded by such a device.
Particularly as the new device is intended for use on field artillery weapons which have the firearm arranged so that it can be elevated in an upper carriage, which, in turn, can be traversed in relation to a lower carriage, it is necessary that the receiving unit for the rounds or the like comprises, at least as a part function, a loading pendulum which can adapt the transfer of rounds from the conveyor belt to the positions for which the firearm has been set in relation to the lower carriage.